Support bearing for compactor cleaner bar frame

ABSTRACT

A bearing and seal arrangement for supporting the framework which surrounds a compactor wheel and supports cleaner bars which project into the spaces between rows of compactor tamping pads. The seal is supported in radial alignment with the bearing and the bearing is of generally spherical construction to permit flexing of the framework without breaking the seal.

3,257,918 6/1966 Garis United States Patent Gerald E. Grant Oswego;

Victor Randour, Aurora, Ill. 760,798

Sept. 19, 1968 Jan. 12, 1971 Caterpillar Tractor Co. Peoria, 111.

a corporation of California inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented AssigneeSUPPORT BEARING FOR COMPACTOR CLEANER BAR FRAME 2 Claims, 3 DrawingFigs.

U.S. Cl 94/50 Int. Cl .t E01c 19/24 Field of Search 94/50, 50V,

SOPR References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,395,626 8/ 1968 Garis94/50 2,334,086 11/ 1943 Greiner 94/50X 2,579,839 12/1951 Le'l'oumeau...94/50 2,868,094 1 l 959 Andersson 94/48 3,105,424 10/1963 Dion 94/503,108,519 10/1963 Domenighetti. 94/50, 3,283,678 11/1966 Domenighetti.94/50 3,427,940 2/1969 MacDonald 94/50 3,437,383 4/1969 Randour.. 94/503,439,594 4/1969 Cowley 94/50 Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr.Attorney-Fryer, Tjensvold, Feix, Phillips & Lempio ABSTRACT: Abean'ngand seal arrangement for supporting the framework which surrounds acompactor wheel and supports cleaner bars which project into the spacesbetween rows of compactor tamping pads. The seal is supported in radialalignment with the bearing and the bearing is of generally sphericalconstruction to permit flexing of the framework without breaking theseal.

PATENTE U JANiI 21971 3554.101 SHEET 1 BF 2 |7 34 22 INVENTORS GERALD E.GRANT VICTOR RANDOUR AT TORN EYS PATENTEU Jmnzmn 3554.101

' sum 2 or 2 INVENTORS GERALD E. GRANT VICTOR RAN DOUR BY 95 w w, F 1i-1 I ATTORNEYS SUPPORT BEARING FOR COMPACTOR CLEANER BAR Compactorwheels are provided with spaced rows of compactor feet or pads whichserve to compact the earth as the machine passes over it. In clay orother types of earth, particularly when damp, material collects betweenthe rows of teeth reducing the efficiency of compaction. It has beencommon practice to providecleaner barsprojecting between the rows ofteeth to remove material which tendsto collect. These cleaner bars aresupported on-a frame which surrounds the wheel. The inner side of theframe is connected to the hollow spindle which supports the wheel, andat the outer side of the frame it is supported by the wheel through abearing and seal assembly to which the present invention pertains. Thisbearing andseal assembly has beensubject to failure because of the heavyduty imposed when rock or hard material becomes wedged between thetamping pads. The stress imposed upon the frame imparts a twistingaction which causes separation of the seal parts, loss of lubricant andfailure of the bearing.

The structure of the present inventionwhich corrects these faults willbest be understood from the following Specification, wherein referenceis made to the accompanying drawings.

ln the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of the compactor wheel and cleaner barsupport frame taken from the outboard side.

' as seen in FIG. 2 is mounted on a conventional spindle 12.

A brake assembly of conventionalconstruction is generally indicated at13. At 14 a gear reduction assembly is illustrated which transmitstorque between a driving axle 15 and the wheel. The frame for supportingthecleaner bars has an inner beam 16 and an outer beam 17 connected byend beams 18 and 19. The end beams 18 and 19 support cleaner bars 20,there being one between each two rows of teeth at the forward end andrearward end of the compactor. This arrangement of cleaner bars isdesirable because compactors are very often operated alternately inforward and reverse directions instead of turning as they reach the endof an area being compacted.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the support of theouter compactor frame member 17. The support extends outwardly from aplate 22 as shown on FIGS. 2 and 3 where it is greatly enlarged, whichis secured as by a circle of bolts 23 to the outer face of thec'ompactor wheel. This secured to the collar by bolts 27. The shaft 24supports the inner race of a sphericalbearing $0,which is retained by aplate 28 and bolts 29. The outer races 31 of this bearing are receivedin an annular cavity at the inner end of a hollow shaft 32 which extendsoutwardly into and supports a quill shaft 33. The latter is clamped tothe upper side of the outer frame 17 by a fitting 34 (see also FIG, 1Thebearing is of the so-called spherical type which enables some flexingmovement when the outer frame member 17 is subjected to heavy shock andstress. Such movement has given rise to seal failure on sealsconventionally disposed axially outwardly of the bearing. In accordancewith the present invention the seal provided by a pair of metal-to-metalseal rings 35 is sufficiently larger than the bearing to be supported inradial alignment therewith and thus is substantially immune fromdestructive forces and/or mismatch of the metal seal faces that wouldallow leakage resulting from the flexing movement referred to. The sealelements 35 are of a well-known construction and are supported onrubberlike tori as shown at 36 which are confined by outer seatingramps, one provided in the collar 25 and the other in an adapter ring 38held in place by a circle of cap screws 40. Adapter ring 38 contains aplug 41 for filling the unit with lubricant.

We claim:

1. In a tractor compactor wheel having a frame for supporting cleanerbars which extend between tamping pads on the periphery of the wheel;the frame having an outboard beam and a bearing connecting said beamwith the central outboard part of the wheel, said bearing having innerand outer races, means supporting the inner race with respect to thewheel, and means supporting the outer race with respect to the outboardbeam, the improvement which comprises an annular seal structure ofgreater diameter than the bearing for preventing loss of bearinglubricant, and means supporting said annular seal structure concentricto and in radial alignment with the bearing, said armular seal structurecomprising a pair of seal rings and a pair of rubberlike tori, each ofsaid tori being positioned between one of said seal ring pairs and saidsupport means and being in sealing contact with both said one of saidseal ring pairs and said support means thereby serving to support saidseal rings as well as sealing against said seal rings and support means.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the bearing is of the sphericaltype which allows flexing between the frame and the wheel, and whereinsaid means supporting the inner race comprise a shaft supporting saidinner race and said means supporting said outer race comprise a hollowshaft having an an- 50 nular cavity therein'receiving said outer race.

1. In a tractor compactor wheel having a frame for supporting cleanerbars which extend between tamping pads on the periphery of the wheel,the frame having an outboard beam and a bearing connecting said beamwith the central outboard part of the wheel, said bearing having innerand outer races, means supporting the inner race with respect to thewheel, and means supporting the outer race with respect to the outboardbeam, the improvement which comprises an annular seal structure ofgreater diameter than the bearing for preventing loss of bearinglubricant, and means supporting said annular seal structure concentricto and in radial alignment with the bearing, said annular seal structurecomprising a pair of seal rings and a pair of rubberlike tori, each ofsaid tori being positioned between one of said seal ring pairs and saidsupport means and being in sealing contact with both said one of saidseal ring pairs and said support means thereby serving to support saidseal rings as well as sealing against said seal rings and support means.2. The combination of claim 1 in which the bearing is of the sphericaltype which allows flexing between the frame and the wheel, and whereinsaid means supporting the inner race comprise a shaft supporting saidinner race and said means supporting said outer race comprise a hollowshaft having an annular cavity therein receiving said outer race.